Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
San Pedro Square. Here thousands of people gather each night with lighted lamps
together to revive their faith. A faith that share worldwide over one billion baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the immense wealth of the Catholic people. Over
17 percent percent of the world population.
But Christians also include the faithful of the separated churches: Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox ...
counting only the most numerous, are nearly two billion, ie 33 percent of the world population.
Thus, the number of Catholics in the world is like a huge river that runs through the trails every day life,
roads leading to Jesus Christ, the One who has given to Catholics and continues
words of truth, love, justice and peace.
And it all begins in Nazareth, where 2,000 years ago a Hebrew girl answered the call
and agreed to conceive and give birth to Jesus, the Savior, the Son of the living God.
Therefore, to know the history of this people baptized in Jesus' name, which still exists and grows
After two thousand years of history, we must begin by the time this story takes its first step.
It is a story that is integrated into a wider network: the people of Israel, through
of the covenant which God made with his chosen people, the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The first step takes place 2,000 years ago
in Nazareth, a small town in Galilee, in the heart of the Hebrew culture.
The story of what happened in those days it is written in the Gospels.
The Gospels are 4 and were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Schematically, we'll see when they were
the four gospels written after the death of Jesus Christ:
The wording of the Gospel of Matthew can be dated between 42 and 50. The second
Gospel, that of Mark, can be dated before the year 60. A few years after
is considered the third Gospel, that of Luke, who also wrote the Acts of the
Apostles, whose story ends in 62. The fourth book, St. John,
was written some decades later.
Indeed, are the four Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, which the Church has recognized
always, from the beginning, as true stories of words, facts
and acts of Jesus. Just want to tell these facts, these actions
because Christians want to have an accurate memory of what Jesus had said.
We must remember that Matthew, Mark and John were disciples of Jesus, followed him,
lived with him, have seen their deeds, their actions. San Lucas, meanwhile, also
is Evangelist, and has heard from Mother, the *** Mary, all that
It had happened, what had happened. Well, the gospels were written for
All have been written for us and for all men, for those who
believe and those who do not. The story of Jesus and all that will happen
in the following centuries, begins in a village in Galilee, Nazareth.
"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: Blessed art thou among women"
The Hebrew people had centuries waiting for the Messiah, which should free him from slavery and save.
The Hebrew people had centuries waiting for the Messiah who would save him from
For Christians, God responds to this hope
sending his Son Jesus. On March 25 of every year, Catholic
celebrate the Annunciation, ie, the memory of the appearance of Archangel Gabriel to
*** to announce that was to be the mother of Jesus.
Tradition states that Mary's house was carried by the angels to Loreto
centuries, place of worship and pilgrimage for millions of faithful.
Within the walls of this sanctuary we hear again the words which St. Luke records
in his Gospel: God sent the Angel Gabriel, where a young ***
living in a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, and was betrothed to Joseph,
Family of David. "Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God," said the Angel,
"You will get pregnant, and you will give birth to a son and you shall name
Jesus. Will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and His kingdom will have no end. "
And she said, "Be it done to me what you said."
Jesus was born in Judea in the days of King Herod.
Judea was under the power of Rome. Therefore, when Emperor Augustus ordered that
take a census of the entire territory of the empire, Joseph and Mary were placed in trip
to Bethlehem, Bethlehem and found no one who will host on that cold night makes
two thousand years. And here in Bethlehem, Jesus was born in a manger,
and those who were there to worship were the poor, the shepherds and beggars.
The Gospels go into detail about the life of Jesus from the time
Jesus, having left Nazareth, approaches the bank of the Jordan River and is filed Juan Bautista.
John agrees to baptize, and immediately descends a dove from heaven
and a voice is heard proclaiming: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I put my love."
After the baptism, Jesus begins to go
the roads of Palestine: Galilee, Samaria, Judea ... and many are beginning to know
and to follow. And Saturday is found in the synagogue
Nazareth, the town where he had grown up and had known him. They give, as usual,
the book of the Scriptures, where the words of the prophets are written,
Jesus and read aloud: "The Spirit of God
is upon me. Has anointed me and sent me to preach to the poor a cheerful news
to proclaim liberty to captives and give sight to the blind, to release
the oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord". Solemnly closes the book,
delivers the servant and says, "Today you have heard the scripture is fulfilled in your
own ears". Jesus proclaims his identity. Jesus confesses himself
Son of the Father, and into the history of mankind to return humanity to the Father.
Even today there are millions of faithful around the world
continuing the mission that Jesus started, and listening to his word, fill
of faith, hope and charity, and the best of its ability in his own show
life the teachings of the Gospel: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of
God blessed the hungry, they will be filled, blessed are those who mourn,
they shall be comforted, blessed are the persecuted because the Son of Man ... "
But Jesus did not merely announce that the Kingdom of God is reserved for the poor,
the forgotten, the disinherited. Jesus chooses his disciples among those with no
nothing: 12 Easy and poor fishermen. And while the rulers of the Empire around
remarkable and occupy the powerful places reserved, Jesus builds the foundation
His kingdom together twelve simple fishermen, and even today calls on every believer
to continue to have faith in him and with the same simplicity of spirit that characterized
the first disciples. The apostles were 12, and among them is
Peter, the fisherman whom Jesus stands on the shore of Lake Tiberias with his
brother, and they both said: "I will make you fishers of men" and they follow him without hesitation.
From the first moment, Peter and the other disciples in Jesus sense that there is something
outstanding. When Jesus asks them: "But who say that I am", Simon
Peter answers, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Then Jesus said:
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church."
It is these words that have made all Catholics still see Peter
as the vicar of Christ on earth. What Jesus taught is something new, absolutely new
for that society, a society ruled by thousands of laws, thousands of prescriptions,
but also much prevarication. Jesus teaches that the love of neighbor, which rises
Love God, element for the new humanity. To approach a new way
others, the most painful: forgiveness. Forgive others that you have voluntarily
hurt is the extraordinary news that Jesus taught. Even today, the words of
I think Jesus is groundbreaking, provocative, Jesus' teachings can be summarized
in 7 short phrases that we find in the Gospel. Let's read them together: "He had such an eye for
eye, tooth for tooth, but I say that if someone strikes you on the right cheek,
You must provide the other, I tell you: Love your enemies, pray for those who
persecute you if you love only those who love you, what thank have ye;? do not judge
and ye shall not be judged: why do you see the speck in your brother's eye and not see the beam in
yours;? how often should I forgive, Lord, seven times, I tell you-no
only seven times, but seventy times seven "; love your neighbor as yourself, go, sell
what you have and give it to the poor, and come, follow me. "
The love that Jesus proclaims is a love that comes from deep love for the Father and
is this and no other, which can raise humanity, which can give birth
a new humanity.
While all this happens, Rome is at the maximum of its expansion, the rule extends
from north to south, tested and functioning power dominating peoples and territories through
an efficient if not brutal control emanating from the emperor and his palaces
Romans extends through proconsuls, procurators and prefects to all provinces
and vassal states. In this context, the words of Jesus,
"Love your neighbor as yourself" represent a danger to the machinery of power, power
that based on the domain from above, their strength and reason to exist. The powerful, those who
defend the imperial power, convinced that Jesus is a danger, especially for
those who take advantage of the imperial system, especially when the number of followers,
and do not accept that Jesus who is the judge. The scene of Calvary Jesus is
outlining. It is the year 784 from the foundation of Rome, thirty-third birth
Jesus. If there is a city, a land that symbolizes
vocation and destiny of mankind is Jerusalem holy land three times
for different reasons, for the children of Abraham, Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Moreover, Jerusalem is understood to possess the key to interpret the whole story
God among men. Each of us can say it, with the psalmist, "I
here my mother, all men are born in you. "
It is more than a symbol, a sign of true peace between peoples, even though what
Throughout history, and especially today, showing us his face disfigured by violence.
Jerusalem is a city that is more than a Holy Land, is the holiness of God,
Jesus Christ, the Son of God with his Cross and Resurrection teaches us that
Love is stronger than hate, life is stronger than death. Look at him!, Follow him,
everything is done with him again. as the first morning of history.
This year 33, Jesus returns to Jerusalem, acclaimed by the crowd that receives as
a king, waving palm fronds and olive. Now as then, there are many Christians
who want to be together and listen to the words of Jesus, this man who plays God
and wants a story made peace, communion, hope and love.
Jesus sitting among the disciples said, "I have earnestly desired to celebrate this Easter
with you before I suffer. Shortly after the situation occurs more
significant and important to the history of the Church and the millions of faithful
until today are still considered children of God:
Is time the Eucharist is instituted, the time when Jesus instituted the form
through which, having ascended into heaven, is still present in the life of
every man. Every day in the celebration of Mass, the priest recreates
actions of Jesus, and with Him revive the mysteries of his body and blood given
shed by everyone. The hands of the priest re updated the gestures that made the
Jesus' hands, and each day the bread and wine the body and blood of Christ become.
"Take and eat, this is my body, do this in remembrance of me," Jesus says, and then "Drink
all of it, because this is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you, cause
this in memory of me "The 12 communions distributed that night,
today have developed into hundreds of thousands around the world, and that cutting bread
night, and again cutting at every Eucharist, is for more than one million men hope
the other half of the planet discover Peace.
Probably Jesus causes fear of responsible rulers, all
in power. It's a typical situation: Jesus preached love is a love that
scary, and they have only one objective, kill it, make it disappear.
The history of 30 pence all know, we all do this, a
bag with thirty pieces of silver is sold Love
For Christian believers, the passion of Jesus Christ is true story, its history,
being revived by Catholics in prayers that are repeated in each Via Crucis,
memories of suffering and delivering a word that reminds us what Jesus said:
"As I have loved you, love one another, in this all will know that you are
my disciples, if you have love for one another. If you love me, observe my commandments
The Holy Spirit that the Father will send will teach you everything and will suggest what
I have said. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you. "
Of the blood that Jesus shed on the Cross, shall the great people of God.
In this town, Catholics see and recognize the Pope, the one who shows the way
towards the Cross, sign of eternal life which the whole Church is the body.
Risen Jesus does not take long to load and theirs appears to the disciples at Emmaus.
The disciples had been with Jesus after his resurrection, full of enthusiasm
for having found Jesus still alive, what end have had, and what path have
taken? They could not do anything but follow the path of obedience to the words
Teacher: "Go into all the world, preach the gospel, baptize every man
meet on your way, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holly
Spirit". And the disciples were dispersed throughout
the world. We can see on a map the route they did
disciples. Since that day, the number of Catholics
has steadily increased. Today there are nearly a billion worldwide: 484
million in the Americas, 289 in Europe, 100 million in Africa, more than 110
million between Asia and Oceania.